Unspoken
by Justified Wings
Summary: A collection of one-shots. From the MS Elegante RP previously hosted on LJ. Includes Erol, Jak, Kevas, Meth, Zeke, and Zelda.
1. Chapter 1

**Unspoken  
****Part I**

He looked cross. It was the first thing she thought when he'd asked to speak with her. She'd arrived, he'd opened the door, let her in, and the moment they were alone without the potential of prying eyes, he gave her that expression. It was the one that told her she had crossed the line somewhere and he didn't appreciate it. In fact, most of the time when he grew annoyed, it was because she was stupidly trying to be to him what he didn't need. To be worried and concerned was one thing, but Zelda had a tendency to carry it too far.

And perhaps Jak was guilty of the same thing.

"You… wanted to speak with me, right?" she asked with a reassuring upturn of the lips. It was vague, of course, but present all the same. Although he had a tendency to be a little too thick-skulled to truly understand or pay attention.

He didn't respond immediately and the silence that sat between them began to gnaw on Zelda's nerves. It was like she had been caught doing wrong and she was just waiting for the punishment to be administered to her. She wasn't a child anymore, however, and the thought of being chided or scorned didn't seem to float well with her. She was so often lectured or reprimanded for things she did. It wasn't as though she was attempting to hurt anyone, of course. It just happened to be that Zelda often grew too passionate, and invested her feelings into things that ordinarily didn't need to involve her.

"Why?"

His question was so direct and his tone so firm that her ears instantly lowered. How was it that he had the ability to instantly shatter her like that? At times, it drove her into bouts of contemplation that made her question exactly what it was he always sought from her—for surely it was more than just her innocent companionship.

"…What do you mean? I don't know what you're talking about," she hesitantly admitted.

Jak sighed and stiffly drew up his arms and folded them over his chest. Zelda was lucky. His training had left him weary, and he wasn't going to play the 'around the bush' game with her. Straight and to the point was the best way to handle the situation and he made that very apparent for her.

"Carnival," he replied. "I told you not to go. You said you wouldn't."

She cringed. He was right. She had told him she wouldn't. Well, more like they'd agreed upon it. What had possessed her to in the first place? Zelda wanted answers, the kinds of answers Kage wouldn't give her; the kinds of answers Meth refused to extend in her direction. Perhaps it was idle curiosity. Perhaps it was something more.

What had she been thinking when she told Greed she wanted to go…? Was… she upset about something? Zelda always seemed to do either the obvious and hole herself up when she grew that way or she reacted brashly. The latter didn't seem to occur too terribly much, but it wasn't improbable.

"It wasn't… I didn't…" There she went, stumbling over her words. "I… didn't go alone. I had Kevas and Sir Greed with me."

"But you still went," Jak protested. "Don't you know what's in there? Why do you think I told you not to go? I told you already."

_"I died in there once. I don't want you going in there."_

She drew her lower lip between her teeth and nibbled anxiously. He was annoyed, if not angry, and while she adored Jak in any mood, she really didn't care for it when he became anything negative. Besides, wasn't he always off doing things like that? He _knew_ she wasn't completely powerless. He _knew_ she could hold her own if she really needed to. And he _knew_ that if it absolutely came down to it, she would ask Sheik to help her—even if she didn't really want to.

"…I'm sorry," she managed to push through her lips, still feeling as though it wasn't really fair for him to scold her. "I'll be more careful in the future."

When he moved away from the door and toward his couch to sit, she began to inch toward it. It was the only reason he'd called her to see him, right?

"I didn't mean to dishonor you or to spite you, if that's how you're taking it." Zelda peered over her right shoulder to him, her expression wholly serious, "I just can't stand aside and let everyone else do these things. I want to have control over my life. I don't want it in the hands of the crew and the captain. I suppose… you could say I've had enough. No more of this."

"Wait a—Where are you going?"

She paused at the handle and inclined her head, "…I… That was the reason you called me up here, right?"

He sighed with exasperation and stirred to get up, but managed to fall short. Lifting an arm, he draped it over the back of his couch, "Don't go, Zelda."

The princess turned and pressed her back up against the door as she looked him over. She loathed feeling as if she'd disappointed him. She never wanted him to feel that way, especially when it came to her. Her hands laced together, a clear indication of what she was experiencing. It was always like this with Jak, though.

From the moment she realized she felt _something_ for him, the torment had begun. She questioned herself constantly and wondered if she was really allowed to feel anything of that nature. Honestly, if it hadn't been for Daxter and Kevas, Zelda likely would have given up long ago, assumed Jak was pulling an Erol, simply stringing her along as though she was a darling little toy, and not at all a person. Both the ottsel and the troll, however, had managed to convince her otherwise in their own respective ways.

"I don't know what you want me to say. I don't know what you want me to do," she confessed softly, sheepishly.

Jak shook his head, nearly in disbelief, and released a grunt of irritation, "I just want you to be _you_. And to be safe." Then he leaned forward and brought a hand into his green-blond hair, "You said we could spend more time together. You know, talking and stuff. Don't be so quick to go."

Zelda found that she was incapable of holding back her smile. Once again, he was right. She _did_ tell him they could spend more time together. She _wanted_ to spend more time with him, because honestly, for being whatever they were, they really didn't spend much time with one another. From an outside perspective, it probably looked fleeting and Zelda couldn't deny that at times she believed that was how Jak viewed it as well. Her own thoughts and feelings had a tendency to be stubborn and she wasn't easily coerced into thinking otherwise.

"Well…" She tried to sound as though she was giving it great contemplation. Then she rewarded him with a soft smile and a nod before making her way to him. "You're right. I _did_ say that. I suppose there's really no other place requiring my attention. I'll stay if you'll have me."

As he had so many times before, his hand reached up and he took her by the wrist, before pulling him onto the couch with him, "Don't worry so much." Then he gave her the most charming smile he could manage.

What he may not have known was how much he precisely held control over her heart. He could sway it back and forth with simply a look—and he did it well. She was only too pleased to sit with him, to be near him, and to bathe in his company. He was capable of keeping her optimistic, even when he wasn't.

"I'm trying," she protested. "I swear… I really am…"

He'd heard enough. The woman worried frequently. She worried always. Jak might have been oblivious at times, but it was something he picked out about her easily. He did the only thing he could even think of. With a hand at her chin, he drew her in and planted a kiss upon her lips.

For Zelda, this was the best way to persuade her, to otherwise soothe her nerves. Whenever he did it, she felt like she was falling all over again. Not in the sense that she was falling at a rapid rate. It was more like standing over a beautiful waterfall and willingly forcing herself over the edge and into a greater oblivion. And when she did fall? It was so slow that she could take in each moment and remember just how beautiful the world was.

Storybooks liked referring to that as being 'in love'. Zelda, however, far too afraid of even thinking those words just called it 'something' or 'whatever they were'. She didn't truly know how Jak felt about her. She knew he wanted to care for her and that he wanted to protect her, and that apparently he had a fondness for her lips, but beyond that…? Well, it was part of the reason she questioned him and herself so much. It wasn't so much by request as it was by… necessity.

He never had a conflict garnering a response from her. Sometimes her hands rested against his chest, on the rare occasion they reached for his ears, and every now and then she took him by the goatee. This time, her arms lifted and she drew her delicate fingertips over his shoulders and down his back, so they could meet together. It was bold, and it was something Jak eagerly sought to drown himself in.

Times aboard the M.S. Elegante were not easy ones, so when they could afford the expense to spend time with one another and in such an intimate manner, they were times to be savored and considered precious. Of course, that was assuming the other involved could be considered the same. To some degree, Zelda _was_ precious to him—not that he could ever say it, but he at least felt something like that.

He welcomed her, and tugged her frame into his as he enveloped her against him. If he could hold her like this always, he would never need to worry about something happening to her. He could watch her. He could care for her. He could see everything that was going on. And he didn't have to worry about her other half getting bent out of shape with anything that happened between them.

His lips retracted from hers and he rested a kiss against her cheek, "Don't do that again." It wasn't a request.

Her blue eyes, a much lighter blue than his, were placed upon his and for a moment she said nothing. What could she say? To some extent, Zelda would do almost anything he asked, unless for whatever reason it began to oppose her morals and personal values. The moment that began to happen where she had to compromise herself, she'd have to push him away and throw the wall back up. Then Jak would have to work harder to get her to open up to him.

_You know, Jak. If I just reached up and played with your ears you wouldn't say that. I could just ask you if I could go again while doing that and you'd just give that goofy grin and say something like, "Hn… Okay, Zelda."_

She didn't say it, though. It all remained in her thoughts. Just her personal… private… thoughts. It was where she kept all of her secrets, the ones that she thought would make her come across as somehow unbecoming.

She heard him sigh and he brought her face to his, resting his forehead against hers. "You heard me, right?"

"Y-yes…" Zelda uttered softly as a shade of pink fell over her ears.

It must have been seen as an invitation. His hand lifted, grazed over her shoulder, and carefully traced the outer of her ear. He was always so tender, so ginger, so caring, and so gentle, as though he knew exactly what he was doing. That wasn't the case, however.

Jak was probably just as concerned about crossing any such threshold with Zelda as she was even to think about it. After all, if he wound up hurting her, he wouldn't handle it well. And… what if he lost her? What if she saw to that Dark Eco? What if she fell victim to Erol's lies? _No._ He would _never_ let that man come close to her again. She didn't seem intent on seeing him anyway, and it spelled some great relief to him. Perhaps a part of him was just as much attached to her as she was to him.

"Then don't go again."

She tilted her head into his hand and she nodded faintly, "Verily then… Jak." Then she lifted a hand and rested it against his, as though to stop him. It was that sort of gesture that held too much sway. She enjoyed it, no doubt, but…

"Hm? What is it?" he asked as he caught her expression, somewhere between a blissful blush and tints of agony.

"…I… should be going…"

He almost let her go without a fight. He could have. He would have found an excuse to see her later and he knew that. Yet it didn't happen. His hand twisted beneath hers and held it carefully. So easily he thought she could snap within his grasp. There was so much more to her, though, and he was learning more as each moment passed. She wasn't as delicate as he'd assumed. But then, he knew she had that inner strength most people didn't have.

Then he lowered his voice and for a moment, averted his gaze, "Would you stay the night here?"

"…!" Zelda grew rigid against him and it took his hand to her ear to calm her again before she could muster up any speech. "…Stay the night… with you?" She _had_ also said she'd stay with him whenever he wanted. He didn't often really make that request, though. The closest it had ever come was when he said he wanted her to stay there.

_"You… …All… the time?"_

_"Why not?"_

_"…Uhm… I… suppose I could. I am not— If that is what you would like, Jak, then that is what I will do."_

_"I'd like that."_

_"Then I will always do whatever you'd like."_

In a way, it was like backing herself into a corner. With Erol, it had frightened her because she didn't know what he would do to her. With Jak, it simply made her nervous. She was so attached to him. She cared for him so much that she was concerned how he would perceive her. She cared so much for her reputation, that she worried how Hyrule would view a princess who gave that sacred part of herself away.

Wait. What was she…?

"I… suppose I can. I suppose that I will," she finally replied, lovingly coerced by his affection.

She lowered her hands to his face with care and drew her fingertips over his jaw line before pressing her lips to his in a brief kiss. Then she softened her voice with words meant for only him, "I… do not mind what we do, as long as this road I traverse, I traverse with you."

"…Zelda—"

She quieted him with a smile and took one of his hands and pressed it to where her heart laid, "Jak… Can you feel that? It is as though it is music in the distance calling me to the frontlines. Never… have I ever felt more alive than I do when we are together like this."

He wasn't sure what he should have paid attention to first, her words, the eager gaze she was feeding him, or the fact that his hand was pressed against bare flesh. Just… how far did the cut in her gown go…? For a moment, he dared himself to look down and before he gave into that, he succumbed to that desire he'd restrained before. His hand adjusted, took her by the wrist and he pulled her harshly against him, adorning her with a passionate kiss.

Jak could never say the words. He could never think them, although surely they lied in the back of his mind somewhere, waiting to either be filed away or burnt to ashes. What he could do, however, what he _wanted_ to do, was to express exactly how he felt about Zelda, and this moment was not one he could pass up. They would never need to use words. They could always rely upon their actions.

And if the ship had anything to say about it, it could rot in Hell, with its crew, and with its damnable captain.


	2. Chapter 2

**Unspoken  
Part II  
**

"Why do you always do that?"

Blonde eyebrows knit together thoughtfully. Her stance adjusted—from the slight lean against the end table to the straightened posture when she was addressed.

He looked comfortable, she thought. When things weren't going rough, anyway. When there was even a hint of uneasy peace, things seemed so drastically different. He didn't grow so overwhelmingly serious. He smiled more, and she loved his smile. It made her want to take his cheeks between the thumbs and the forefingers and just pinch.

"What do you mean?" she finally asked.

Zelda's nonchalance was endearing at times; endearing and foolish. Her dedication and commitment to her morals was admirable, but it made people want to look after her all the same. He was not excluded from that either. In fact, since he'd known Link had left, a part of him felt like he owed it to the Hylian boy.

Somewhere along that pathway, the line between obligation and personal desire had become blurred. He'd never anticipated that he'd look at her and consider her close. In that same respect, he hadn't considered he'd have the eyes of a princess on him.

Who was he to complain?

"That," he replied. "You play so many things off, like they don't mean anything."

"I do not," Zelda argued with a hard look. "I really don't. Just because it seems that way doesn't mean that's how it really is."

Daxter would have called bullshit. They both knew it too. Jack was acutely aware Zelda had conceded to his point the moment she averted her eyes. It was her defense mechanism. It was her way of putting up that silent wall. She'd draw into her shell, lock up her feelings, and suddenly put her attention on anything and everything that had nothing to do with her.

"You say you don't. Fine. You don't."

He was gruff, annoyed with how snappy she'd become. It never failed. All he'd want to do was help and someone would bite his head off. It made him want to tell the rest of the world to fuck off. There wasn't a reason to be a hero if no one appreciated it. After all, he wasn't an altogether altruistic person. He liked getting something out of his actions, and more than the typical 'warm and fuzzy' feeling.

Zelda was quick to backtrack, always influenced by Jak's reactions. It wasn't a feeling of duty, but rather a genuine concern for upsetting him. Of everyone aboard, Jak was probably one of the people who would react strongest if something happened to her. She'd already died on him once. He'd probably been thrilled when she came back. After that, Zelda realized that she never wanted to be separated from him by something like death. Or anything else for that matter.

_"If I never got to see you again, I... I'd rather die than live in a world without you."_

Those words had both humiliated and humbled her. It had only gone to prove that beneath fancy clothes, jewels, and titles, Zelda was still just a person and allowed to have sentimental attachment based on personal longing.

She cared for Jak. She loved him. She only wanted him. Jak was her one and only. Perhaps it was presumptuous to think such things, but it wasn't as though she was foreign to love. There had been Link, and that had been a very cruel hand dealt. She'd known from the beginning that it was impossible. Jak was entirely different.

He was real to her. She could touch him, kiss him, taste him, feel him… His breath on her neck, the shudders when she touched his ears, and his voice in that passionate murmur; those were all things the princess yearned for. When she was away from him, she certainly felt it. She didn't even know what to call it, though.

Zelda had only recently come to the conclusion that she 'loved' him, whatever that might have meant. She hadn't told him yet, controlled by the idea that she was sure he'd take off. She'd also considered that it was entirely one-sided.

Jak cared about her. She had stopped questioning him. She'd accepted that he wanted her for her and nothing else. There were no ulterior motives. Unlike so many things aboard, Zelda was constant, rarely changing, and almost every day was the same. She'd flash him a smile, pull him in for an embrace, tug on his goatee, and reward him with a kiss.

_"Thank you for being my other half. Thank you for giving my wings. Thank you for setting me free."_

Zelda moved to him and tipped her head to the side, "I'm sorry. I… don't see things the way you do. I never want to worry you, so I try to put things off as though they do not affect me. It is what I would do for my people."

The moment he began to interject with that disapproving stare, she lifted a hand to silence him, "You are not one of my people. I know this. I cannot treat you the way I do them. You are more to me. How you feel about me is very different from how they do. Even I am aware of that."

He relaxed visibly and she watched him reposition himself. He sat up, and edged over to make her some room upon the couch. It was a silent invitation, one that he hoped she would take. He hadn't given her a reason to turn him down, after all. Of course, he'd thought awfully hard about the recent events and how they must have taken a toll on her. Playing it over in his mind made him nearly blind with rage. A part of him wanted to draw her into his arms tightly and continue on with the knowledge that no one would ever hurt her again.

She wouldn't like that, though. Zelda wanted to be seen as capable. He couldn't fault her for that, and he was beginning to put together that there was much more to her than he'd initially seen. When would she stop putting herself in such dangerous situations, though? He'd managed to keep her away from Erol, which was absolutely essential. He couldn't stand being awake at night, worrying about that insane man plunging his claws into her. He'd rip her apart, no respect for who she was or what she represented.

That could never come to pass.

Zelda's ears lowered as she sat beside him and no matter how she might have felt on the inside, her lips faintly upturned. She did that so often. She smiled for Jak's sake, under the belief that if she did, then he would as well. It was hard not to, actually. She was often so bubbly and cheerful that Jak found it very difficult not to fall into any trap she would have laid for him.

"It's frustrating," he admitted sternly as he looked her over.

Precursors, she was so beautiful, completely contradictory to everything he'd ever seen in Haven. Things back there—well, women were more… not quite pretty, but certainly not lacking in their own lustful charms—were a bit dark. There was quite a contrast between Zelda and anyone else he'd known back in the city. She was quiet, reserved, conservative, elegant, and… endearing. She was captivating. He felt like a prisoner in her company some of the time, mostly because he tried to understand her, and he couldn't.

"Frustrating," Jak continued, "because you are you."

For a moment, she didn't seem to know what he meant. Jak wasn't always clear to her, or she was simply too sheltered to comprehend. Then she sighed and laced her hands together thoughtfully, unsure of how to respond initially.

"You said you're frustrated," Zelda repeated in that careful, quiet nature. "I say I don't mean to frustrate you. I understand that I do and I know why I do. It's just never intentional. I… forget that you worry about my consequences."

Jak sighed, mostly out of disbelief. Sometimes Zelda was like a wall. He assumed it wasn't deliberate, but there was always the possibility that he was wrong. After all, it wasn't like he'd never questioned her before.

First it was the whole spending time with him. Most people outside of the select few avoided that. Then there was her association with Erol, which had him under the impression that she was betraying him. There was the evening she'd told him that she and Sheik were melded together, something that Jak _still_ couldn't wrap his mind around. And finally, there was the evening some metaphorical thing had died in his tunic and she'd coerced him to drink. He had plenty of moments where he wondered how trustworthy she was.

Most of that had faded. As long as Zelda was open with him, he felt like he didn't have to worry. He never admitted it, but behind closed doors, he made it a little more apparent. He _did_ care about her and perhaps a part of him _did_ die when she had. But she came back. She came back and returned to him, compassionate as ever, something utterly foreign to him. In that respect, it was hard to stay agitated by her.

He wanted to tell her to stop, maybe to let him take care of her. It wasn't that easy, though, and she had just gone through things with Kage, the kinds of things that she likely didn't want to discuss.

_"Was he good?"_

He'd thought about asking her that. Then he imagined the look of horror she'd give. Truth be told, she didn't give him many allowances. Sure, she'd slept with him once or twice, but it was platonic, which to some degree, made it awkward. They were together in a lot of ways, except perhaps the way everyone aboard assumed they were.

"Jak."

Every now and then, he got to rest a hand upon her hip. He didn't have to imagine how she looked beneath his touch. That he already knew. Well, had a glimpse of. It hadn't lasted long, but what he saw was _good_. She wasn't without merit and he'd decided from early on that she was quite beautiful. He'd even let it slip a couple of times. And she always replied with charming modesty. Something about looking the same as everyone else. In other words, a blatant falsehood.

Once in a while, he was allowed to finger her ears, and relished in the flush of her cheeks. He liked pushing the boundaries, to see where she'd let him go. He liked the freedom too. It made him feel special and wanted, and not just because he had a beautiful woman on his arm.

Zelda was good to him—and for him. He hadn't seen it very well when it all began, but it became something tremendous. Now with her, he was never sure where to go. Perhaps after Kage she'd never let him touch her again. Perhaps some crack law in her head said she belonged to the First Mate, a notion was irritating.

Sheik had once attempted to treat her as a possession and Jak had fumed. If there was one thing he knew, it was that Zelda's beauty and mercy were things meant to be preserved and cherished, not things to be used against others or her. Yes, he probably could have found a way to benefit himself—Wastelander, after all—but that didn't appeal to him. She was just too good for that and memories of Link constantly reminded him of it.

"Jak!"

He nearly jumped when he felt the sharp tug upon his goatee. He offered her a wry grin and drew an arm around her shoulders. "If you wanted my attention, you could have just said something."

She hesitated. He saw it, as slight as it was. But she returned his gesture and he felt on top of the world when she slipped a hand across his chest.

"I always want your attention," Zelda softly replied in likeness with her ginger touch.

For a moment, and one only, he scowled with a deep-toned affection. The best thing about Zelda was that she didn't do things intentionally. It was always some conjecture that she acted upon. He assumed it was whatever logic that motivated her to kiss him or shower him with any form of affection.

Neither one could deny that there was something great between them.

"Yeah, well." Jak began to preen. She certainly knew how to boost his ego and every now and then he needed it.

His other hand reached for her face, pleasantly surprised when she didn't push him aside. She looked so endearing just then, wide blue eyes and twitching ears. He pulled his fingers over her chin and rested them at the base. With a subtle lift, his head inclined and he blanketed her lips with his.

The tender moments were wonderful. In the privacy of his room, or hers, there was no reason to rush. And one day, if they could avoid interruption, Zelda could evade those chains that held her down. She could wear the clothing of a Havenite, even forsake her jewelry and in the end, she still wound up a Hylian princess. So she looked good and sounded good.

And she was capable.

As she adjusted, turned into him, and pressed tenderly against his body, his other hand left her shoulder and threaded through the ends of her hair, silky and soft to the touch. Just like her.

She knew exactly what to push and what to do to invoke his reaction. He held her in that kiss long enough to leave his head reeling. Such an intense reaction he had to her, and she couldn't have known. Without withdrawing fully, he rested his forehead against hers.

"Stay here for the night."

_Because I always miss you when you're away._


	3. Chapter 3

**Unspoken  
Part III**

_Come on down, _he'd said. _Let's see if we can teach you something new._

She was ecstatic, almost bouncing off the walls with joy, which was a nice contrast to how she'd been the last time he saw her. Zeke had a soft spot for the tears of the doe-eyed females. And for whatever reason, when he saw Zelda get upset, he wanted to get upset too. More often than not, he solved that problem with cheesecake and watermelon, the smiley fruit.

So he was relieved to see a spring in her step when she stopped in the doorway to the kitchen, panting as though she'd sprinted for her life. She still looked pretty, though. To think when they'd first met, she was decked in refined gowns and glowing jewels. Over time, they were negated by casual shorts and peasant tops, and a pendant with a huge orange thing that looked like it was heavier than it was worth. Before, he'd felt a little too common; now, he felt almost honored to see her change, thanks to a damned lucky elf who wasn't the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree.

"Did you run all the way down here?" he asked, the hunt of a grin shining through his expression.

"Mhm!" Zelda confirmed. Lifting her hands to brush herself off, she continued, "You really get used to the stairwells after a while. One could never say I am not active enough."

Zeke gawked. Was it really so necessary for her to overcomplicate everything? Way of life or not, she was going to run herself ragged with that sort of behavior.

"They have elevators for a reason. Stop running around everywhere."

She blushed and her ears twitched once, "I am actually a bit uneasy in the elevators. I appreciate their convenience, but if I can help it, I will generally avoid them unless someone else is with me."

Zelda demonstrated with her hands a box shape before compressing the contents of empty, idle air. "There are no windows and no doors—aside from the entrance and exit when it stops at a floor—and it makes me feel like I am incapable of escaping. Silly perhaps, but entirely sincere."

"Eh…" Zeke wasn't sure how convinced he was. It seemed a little strange for a grand princess to be scared of something he viewed as a bit trivial. He'd never say it, of course, but the thought was there. Better not to upset her, not when she seemed to be in such a good mood.

"Whatever floats your boat," he finally replied, inwardly amused at his poor pun.

"Ready to see what we're going to do today?"

That eager expression was answer enough for him. She looked positively thrilled when she edged to his side. Zeke hadn't gotten things out yet, but he was working on it. If anything, he liked it more when she gathered the materials because it meant she knew what he was talking about. It was nice to see a pupil who actually paid attention to her studies.

"Do I get to make another cake?" Then her eyebrows lifted, "Was my other okay? Did Jak like it?"

Funny story about that one; Jak.

Zeke chuckled, "Actually, he was suspicious. Even though I told him I saw who made it, we're not close enough for him to trust me, I guess. He didn't look happy about it, if that's what you mean."

He watched her expression fall and he ruffled her bright hair, "You mean you didn't tell him after all the work you put into it? Cake making's an art. Not everyone can do it." He paused, "Not everyone can do it _well_."

"Of course not! I would have felt silly! I mean, Jak does not really like things like that. He dislikes flowers, so I imagine he would dislike the thought of baking too. It does not seem like his… 'scene'."

"Zelda, Zelda; listen to yourself. You sound funny. Isn't he… you know, the boyfriend? Girlfriends always make things for their boyfriends. It's like a secret code, like whispering those 'sweet nothings' you hear about; or something like that. Point is, you should've told him."

She was still looking a little sunk. He messed up her hair a little more, "Aw, don't give me that look. What we're making today you can bring to him. Just tell him this time that you made it and don't let him throw out anymore food."

"What are we making?"

Zeke plopped down his recipe book before her, flipped open the center with a practiced hand and pointed. "It's a strawberry-filled cupcake. You know, like glazes and stuff." Except she probably didn't know. "Normally the cupcakes aren't that big, but this one's special. What we'll do is bake the bottom of the cupcake first for a little, like a molding, then fill it, bake the top the same way, and hold it together with frosting. That's the basic run down. What do you think?"

For a moment, she didn't say anything. Then her smile returned and she nodded, "It sounds a little complicated, but it sounds like fun too. I remember Hyrule's market selling things like that when I was younger."

So the recipe was a winner. Honestly, Zeke had sort of winged all of that. He'd had a basic idea of what he thought would be good for her to do, but he hadn't really given it so much thought. It'd helped to make her more enthusiastic, though, and that was a victory in his book.

"Good! So do me a favor and get me…" He began to rattle off a list, most of which contained things Zelda was familiar with.

**-x-x-x-**

_"Something nice, something sweet,_

_Only the best for my Jak to eat._

_Whether it be large or lean,_

_A smile of his praise and I will simply preen."_

It never failed. Zelda had a habit of singing or humming while she baked. It wasn't really unpleasant. In fact, it was sort of cute. Zeke often wondered if what he was looking at was the real Zelda or just what she thought he wanted her to be. With that childlike nature, though? That was probably all her.

"You do that with everything you work with? Make up cute little songs to pass the time?"

She paused briefly and looked over her shoulder at him, "You do not tell anyone else what I do, yes?"

"Who? _Me?_ You must be kidding. Not another soul knows. What goes on in here stays between you and me. You know that," he replied.

There were some obvious exceptions to the rule, but there wasn't a point in bringing them up. Instead, he looked over her progress and stopped by the oven. She really didn't _need_ his supervision. He was more there if she needed to ask him questions.

Fidgeting around, not wanting to interrupt her again, his eyes lit up on the cupcake pan, "You already sprayed it. Good job, Zelda. You're not doing bad at all. I think you can only keep going up."

She glanced up at him, clearly proud of herself, "If it was not for you, I would not be so successful. You are a very good instructor. I am not quite sure what I would do otherwise. I am not like Jak or you, so I have a bit of spare time."

He leaned casually against the counter as he watched her fill the cupcake and apply the top for a final ten minutes in the oven. "Maybe you should… Uh. I don't know; extend one of your many talents or something."

"Actually, Miss Katherine and I have plans of opening a shop aboard. I have never run one, and I cannot say I know what the service would be, but she seemed very interested in it, and I wanted to help her." Tapping the bottom of her chin, she made a face, one that Zeke couldn't quite define. "I have not spoken with her recently. I think she has enjoyed her solitude, which is understandable given how this ship runs."

Zelda working in a shop? He supposed he could see that. He watched her push the cake into the oven with surprising ease and tried to picture it. Zelda, standing behind a counter. She'd probably be prim and proper as always, with that smile that never seemed to fade away. It'd do one of two things. She'd either ward everyone off, or she'd rope in a series of customers. What would she sell, though? There were already shops on board… Wouldn't she be better for something else?

"I don't know what to think of that, Zelda," he admitted. "You and Kate, huh? You'll have to let me know whenever you get that together. I want to see what comes out of it."

"Of course I will," she responded simply, as though she couldn't think of it in any other way. "I was going to whether you requested it or not. You are my friend, so it would seem a little strange if I did not at least include you in some of the things going on."

It didn't take long for the sound of a single _pop_ to catch their attention. At first they looked around before moving to find the source. Then they drew their attention onto the oven door. As Zeke reached to open it, Zelda held it closed.

"You have been watching me the entire time. I did not, under any circumstances, cast any sort of spell, large or small."

"Yeah, I know, but we should still take a look," he protested.

"It was not my doing this time."

He eyed her for a moment. He wasn't sure he'd seen her do anything _wrong_… He waved her back from the oven, so he could open the door. When he first peered in, he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. In pulling it out, however, his eyebrows knit together with a slight confusion. Somewhere along the way, the balance had fallen from what he could tell. One side was lower, and the other was quite a bit elevated. It popped again and he rested it on top of the oven's surface.

"…What happened to it?" Zelda asked as she joined his side.

"Good question. I don't know yet. You didn't miss any ingredients, right? I thought you put everything in, but I wasn't exactly watching you from start to finish." And he should have been. He knew that now, of course, but the lessons were always learned way too late.

They said nothing for a time, simply watching the cupcake—or what used to be one.

"Holy shit!"

It didn't take a second thought for Zeke to draw Zelda behind him when bread and strawberry glaze launched through the air, much of it plastering itself to him.

He heard her shriek and felt the sting of hot and sticky against his bare skin. That was going to burn. Maybe. Perhaps it'd been sitting out long enough that it felt like it did a lot more damage than it actually had. He had a reasonably high threshold, however, and with that same composed nature he always had, he eventually made his way to the sink and began to wash himself up.

"Zelda, what did you _do_?"

She tried to straighten herself out. No, she hadn't gotten anything on her, but she still felt like she was a little shaken up. That was the second time Zeke had dived in to protect her. "I did not do anything! Really! No fire, no wind, nothing! And I did not miss anything! I really did everything right this time!"

She sounded desperate, he thought. Eying her for a moment, he made a face. She had to be genuine. "Really? Think back to it. Not that I don't believe you or anything. I'm just trying to make sure."

That was a mistake. The way her expression hardened made it painfully clear, "I didn't do _anything_. It's the oven!"

"Joo hurtin' my sistah?!"

There was an abrupt pause and they cast their glance on a single comm device resting upon the counter. Zelda had taken hers out in the midst of working on her baking, likely because there wasn't much of a place to stick it in her apparel.

"W-why does that always happen?" she asked as she turned her attention back onto Zeke. When he shrugged, she approached to take her device and parted her lips to explain the situation briefly.

"What the hell did you two do now?"

The tone was more than recognizable for Zelda, perhaps more for her than Zeke. Crew members. Great. He really disliked letting them get involved, or making trouble. This time, he didn't even know how to explain it. He didn't know what had gone wrong. He just knew something had gone wrong. Meth wasn't going to accept that well, he was pretty sure. They wouldn't know for sure until she arrived on the scene, however.

**-x-x-x-**

"Can you guys do something other than break things?" Meth sighed with an extreme exasperation.

When she folded her arms across her chest, it looked like she was back into one piece. There was some kind of talk that went around about her arm being blown off. Zeke didn't know the details behind it, wasn't sure he wanted to know, and didn't have plans of asking. Any of that inquisitive nature could be left to his immediate companion of the princess type.

"…But we did not…" Zelda began to protest. She sucked in a sharp breath and straightened her posture. "Neither Sir Zeke or I did anything wrong."

"What she said," Zeke agreed, trying to be as nonchalant as he could be. He still wasn't entirely sure Zelda didn't do something wrong, but he wasn't going to tell her that, especially not in front of the very irritated blonde before them.

Meth shook her head. "I doubt that. If it wasn't either of you, then what the hell happened?"

"I said it once before," Zelda began in nearly a haughty tone. "I will say it again. This ship suffers from shoddy craftsmanship."

The moment Meth gave that look, Zeke knew they were in for it. He heaved a sigh, looked around the kitchen once more and as he leaned against the counter, he began to listen to Meth lecture. It wasn't going to end anytime soon, and he could see the conclusion in blatant spotlight.

Sergei's was going to close down again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Unspoken  
Part IV**

I thought he was handsome the first time we met. Handsome, charming, and polite. He did that thing that I always read about in books; gave this awkward little bow and kissed my hand. I can't say I've ever gotten a lot of that kind of attention. It's not really something I've ever defined as necessary. I think even if I went back to Hyrule now that I would feel the same.

So he was charming, in an odd sort of way. He'd hurt his arm, or something like that. I remember seeing it, but I never said anything about it. Well, not until later, anyway. I just remember him being nice. To be fair, with my arrival I was so shaken up that my intuition and ability to read people disappeared. That was how it felt. Until my heart could really settle and focus, I wasn't capable of making the important decisions.

Everyone was very nice to me when I arrived. At least on the outside. Over time, people's colors show and since then I've learned a lot and I've been able to concentrate. In spite of all of that, however, I continued to think he was charming. I still do, strangely enough, and I suppose I always will.

Erol.

This man is raving mad. He is like this impossible puzzle to put together. It used to make me angry. I exaggerate. It was obnoxious. I used to think I could solve him. Understanding him was the first step to influencing him for the better. In those days, I was still under the belief that my title actually meant something. The people aboard the M.S. Elegante weren't mine, but I wanted them to be.

I imagine it had something to do with the time I was taken from. I never got the opportunity to address my people after sealing away the Evil King. I had parted ways with Link—the Hero of Time, I mean—and was coping with this empty feeling inside. Maybe it was only natural for me to nurture others, or at least have the desire to. Either way, I was plucked from Hyrule in her pathway to reconstruction.

I worried constantly, much more than I let on. What would my people do without me? How would they handle things in my absence? Would they survive? It was a bit of a silly question, I suppose. They managed for seven years without me. Even knowing it, however, it seemed a bit unfair for Hyrule to finally get her princess back only for her to be taken away again.

It is difficult to determine if my feelings for my people are stronger than theirs for me. I gather that the Hero of Time would have said they held me in high regard and considered me precious or beloved. I have my reservations about that, though.

The M.S. Elegante is like an entirely different world to me. There are people from all walks of life here. Felons and heroes travel the same corridors as though there's no difference between them. The ship has things like the communication network, which I still don't really understand, but appreciate all the same. There are the elevators, which are moving rooms and make my tummy do flip-flops, but are quicker than the stairwells. It really is altogether fascinating, even when you factor all of the bad in.

I make it seem like there's a lot of bad. There really does not seem to be. Yes, there are plenty of threats, but there is also a lot of good. If it were not for the ship and her ill captain, there are many wonderful people I wouldn't have met. I feel like since I've been here, something inside of me has changed. When I was younger, I longed for days of freedom, but grew self-effacing for my people. On the ship, I've learned what it's like to be allowed to be me. There aren't the chains to my throne here.

That isn't to say I don't love my kingdom. That isn't it at all. My people are among my top priority, but as long as I'm parted from them, I can't do anything for them. I need to be able to get to Hyrule first before I can help. It doesn't prevent me from worrying over them, though. Maybe they'll be all right with the Hero of Time, even if he _is_ just a child. He's not powerless, after all.

I'm sitting with Erol now. It didn't start out that way. He doesn't really like me. I don't think he ever has. It's more like he enjoys the _idea_ of me. I'm not entirely sure what his original intent was, but he didn't get to see it through. I put a stop to things before they could get out of hand.

I always compare him to Ganondorf. There's a difference, however. As I believe my position to be predestined, just as Link's was, it's probable that Ganondorf's was also. Perhaps the goddesses looked down upon Hyrule and one said that the lone male of the Gerudos to come would eventually realize his fate as the Evil King. If that's the case, then Ganondorf isn't really held at fault for what he did to my people or to me.

Erol's not exactly like that, but there's still an uncertainty. Maybe Erol's destined position is to be an antagonist too, like the villains in the books I read. Sometimes I think he is because the man he answers to appears to be a great deal crueler. Erol's lady friend once told me that Erol would get assaulted for acting 'out of line'. It's a tyrannical way to get what you want accomplished. I don't know if that's still happening. This is the first time I've seen Erol since I've died.

He looks fine to me. Well, fine and annoyed, which I've come to expect. The last time we met, it wasn't on good terms. It was nice of him to give me back my tiara, but I didn't appreciate being squeezed for information.

"Shouldn't you be off with _him_?"

Those are spiteful words. It's hard for me to tell if it's jealousy or Erol just being Erol. He's talking about the young man who's his rival, Jak; who happens to be my… suitor, I suppose. That's what Sheik calls him, but I think the rest of the ship would refer to him as my 'boyfriend'. I don't know how I feel about that title. All I know is that Jak is mine. I don't own him or anything, of course, but he's important to me, I'm important to him, and we want to be together. That's good enough for me.

Jak is the reason things between Erol and me are sour. I'm not blaming him, but to be more precise, my feelings _for_ Jak are what caused the inevitable falling out.

I've always thought Erol was witty, but he's also a terrible person. No matter how uncertain I may feel about him, there's little doubt that he'd harm me if he had the opportunity. Although I knew that, I thought maybe I could change him. It was not the greatest idea I've ever had, but I really did think it was possible.

I had plenty of times to tell him how I felt about Jak and I never said anything. I also knew very well that neither one cared for the other. In other words, I stood in the middle of them for a time, trying to mediate some form of uneasy peace, which failed miserably. Due to a mishap with ShipNET, the ship's communication network, not only Erol, but the entire ship found out about my 'fleeting' relationship with Jak. When I realized it wasn't so fleeting, I had to see Erol once more and then at Jak's request I refrained from any further deliberate visits.

Until he had my tiara, but I think Jak would have understood. After all, I bet Jak would have seen him if he had the Seal of Mar.

But Erol's annoyed and peaceful negotiations don't work on people like him. He wants to use force to solve his conflicts and after how I led him on, though not intentional, I'm sure he considers what it would be like to pull on my hair or watch me writhe in agony.

Again, I think of Ganondorf. If we were born in different times, would it have made our relationship different? And for that matter, if such were possible, could it be the same between Erol and me? I can't say I wish for it, but it's more a hypothetical inquiry. I'd like to avoid dying again and the complications that come with it.

"I just wanted to see you," I reply. Erol looks less than thrilled and I suppose I should say a little more. "Does that displease you so?"

"Yes."

Of course it does. I make a face, which is childish of me, but happening more and more all the time. Obviously it's a side-effect of spending time with Jak. He makes all of these silly faces for being Mister Serious and they rub off on me.

I try to give Erol my sternest glance, "You did not have to accept."

Once again he looks exasperated, "I didn't have anything better to do."

_"Then why are you complaining?"_

That's what I want to say, but that's snide and princesses should not be snide. I refrain and with my good nature, offer him a tight-lipped smile. Erol, I don't like you, but I tolerate you sometimes, and I'll attempt to respect you—even when you don't deserve it. I'm sure you'll get what's coming to you some day.

Then there's this awkward silence. Being a diplomat means I'm more likely to converse about economic relations with the Zoras, or promoting the rotation of milk throughout Hyrule. People on the ship don't want to hear about things like that, though. Some are more interested in spreading gossip, or finding out more about the ship and its crew.

I'm as lacking as the average passenger. The most I know is that we're going to the Golden Shore, the Captain is apparently a 'great' man, and ever since my death, there's a voice in the back of mine that sings "red box" over and over and over again. Erol's the only one who knows about the latter. I feel like if I told anyone else, they would think I was descending into madness. I never want to be thought of under the same definition as the captain.

Really, though; I don't know much. The crew isn't exactly loose with their information. I once had my hands on a series of blueprints that were for various cities with mysterious numbered monuments, not part of the original architectural design. Sheik procured them and the Major, sometimes a frightening woman, convinced me—and easily—to use my diplomacy to obtain the reasoning on their existence.

Along with the blueprints, I had a list of various places aboard the ship that likely needed repairs, and is probably no longer up to date. Given who they belonged to, one Miss Meth Rezza, she might have had plans to do renovations. At any rate, when I asked her about the blueprints, she simply said they were more tools for practice. It was logical to me. In order to get better at anything, you have to keep working at it. It didn't exactly negate the suspicious presence of additional monuments, however.

Most of the time, I sense a malice from the crew, but I just don't know what I feel from Miss Meth. Not that I actually trust her. I don't trust anyone who's a part of the crew. Not even Kage, and he's bordering that ally and enemy separation line. That's an entirely different story, though, and one that I don't particularly care to discuss at this point in time—if ever.

"Are you actually going to speak or just sit and stare?"

Erol looks bored. If he wasn't so… villainous, I'd almost think he was sort of cute like that. Unfortunately, I just don't feel that way.

I shake my head loose of its thoughts. Well, try to. I think entirely too much and all of the time, so it's not always possible for me to be entirely calm and collected on the inside. At least, not as much as I'd like to be.

Finally I part my lips to speak, "Why not just tell me of things since we last saw each other? Sometimes it feels like ages have passed since we exchanged words."

He gives that look, the one that makes me think of my father. It is as though he is chiding me and I always dislike it so much. Just by listening to his tone I can tell this is going to be a long and taxing process. There's something underneath his words, though. Sometimes he says things that might not be intentional, like he genuinely cares. And when I think of him like that, I wonder if perhaps there's some hope for him after all.

…But probably not.


End file.
